The present invention relates to a controller for a machine-tool or production machine and to a method for parameterizing a controller for a machine-tool or production machine.
FIG. 1 shows schematically in form of a block diagram the drive concept of a prior art machine-tool or production machine. A controller 1 computes desired values for a closed-loop controller 4, which are transmitted to the closed-loop controller 4 via a connection 8. The closed-loop controller 4 controls, for example, the rotation speed of a motor 6 commensurate with the desired values defined by the controller 1. Controlled output variables from the closed-loop controller 4 are supplied as input variables to a converter 5 via a connection 9, with the converter supplying power to the motor 6. The feedback loop for the actual control variables is not shown in FIG. 1 for sake of clarity.
Due to the stringent requirements for real-time performance, the prior art closed-loop controller 4 is typically implemented on the platform of a special embedded computer system 21b, whereas the prior art controller 1 is implemented as an embedded computer system 21a. 
Embedded computer systems are commonly used in drive and automation projects and are typically integrated in the device to be automated, but they can also be operated as stand-alone units, i.e., without the peripheral components, such as keyboard, mouse and display, typically required for personal computers. Unlike the software of personal computers, the software of an embedded computer system is not started by the user, but is fixedly installed in the device as part of the firmware and starts automatically when the device is switched on.
The embedded computer system 21a of the controller 1 includes real-time software 3a executing on a real-time operating system and performing the essential control functions of the controller 1. In particular in more complex machines, the controller 1 also includes software 2a that does not operate in real-time (non-real-time software). The non-real-time software 2a is mainly used to implement operating and visualization functions of the machine. Stated differently, the closed-loop controller 4 includes an embedded computer system 21b with real-time software 3b for implementing control functions that are executed on a real-time operating system, as well as non-real-time software 2b that is executed on a non-real-time operating system and is used mainly for implementing operating and visualization functions of the closed-loop controller 4.
Because the controller 1 or the closed-loop controller 4 are to be used as a uniform hardware platform for the different types of machines and applications, the parameterization of prior art controllers used with conventional machines is time-consuming and complex. For example, several converters 5, each having a motor 6, can be connected to the closed-loop controller 3. In addition, different motor types can be used with several closed-loop controllers 4, instead just the one closed-loop controller 4, all of which can be connected to the controller 1. The number of transducers for measuring the actual values can be different for each machine. Because each machine type and each machine configuration has its own parameterization, with the number of parameters and the type of parameters potentially being different depending on the configuration, parameterizing such machines has thus far being very difficult.
As a result, a conventional controller can have a large number of adjustable parameters for parameterizing the controller and for adapting the controller to the respective application. For example, a user must set parameter values for the parameters. The number of parameters represents a main set for all possible settings and includes subsets. However, in actual applications, only a small number of parameters have to be adjusted. A user confronted with the total number of parameters will find the machine to be rather complex and the drive state not easily discernable, so that errors and problems are time-consuming to investigate and to correct.
To facilitate startup of certain standard applications, several sets of preset values, so-called default values, can be selected for the parameterization by way of an adjustment parameter. Disadvantageously, however, the selection may be limited by the selection criteria to a small number of fixedly defined simple applications. Moreover, the selectable default settings are fixed and cannot be dynamically adapted to different configurations of modular machines. The applications that can be selected in the controller must all be provided in an identical form on external tools, such as a startup-program on a PC, which limits the compatibility between the software version of the controller and, for example, a startup program executed on an external tool.
It would therefore be desirable to provide an improved system and method for easily parameterizing a controller of a machine-tool or production machine.